I am absolutely crazy about chicken and dumplings. I’m even crazier about something I can put in the crock pot and not do a lot of prep work. This is one of those recipes. Jessica over at howsweeteats.com has a version that I think is easy and has a great result. Because of my diet restrictions, I don’t eat canned biscuits. It’s not that I don’t like them, but laying in bed for 3 days with a migraine isn’t my idea of fun so I avoid them. If you like canned biscuits or you just don’t want to fiddle with making dumplings, there are a number of recipes that use them.
1 more hour and we’ll be through!
Let’s take a look at how this breaks down:
In the bottom of your crockpot, layer onions, carrots and garlic. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper then lay them on top.
There was a minor mishap when I was knocking the onions out of the food processor and into the crock pot. That’s why there’s onion goo on the sides, there. Notice the chicken is totally frozen. No big deal. Vacuum packing would eliminate that freezer burn, though.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to create a roux, until it’s golden in color.
I didn’t have any chicken broth laying around, so I opted for vegetable broth. I had some vegetarian bouillon cubes (no msg) in the pantry, so used these.
Add in 2 cups of chicken stock and mix well, bringing to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add remaining chicken stock, put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours.
Ok, this birdie is ready to roast.
Ready to roast!
Time to make the dumplings. Don’t be put off by this and cheat with canned biscuits. This literally took me less than 15 minutes to do.
Cut the butter in small pieces.
Get your hands a little messy
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Crumble in butter with your fingers and rub into the flour until evenly dispersed and coarse crumbs form. Add in milk, stirring well just until a sticky dough forms. Use a tablespoon measure and add small scoops of the dough into the crockpot, starting by placing them around the outside first, then the inside.
I should have taken a picture of the dumplings, but all I did was just scoop out some dough and form them into small balls and drop them into the crock pot. That’s it! Just let it cook for another hour to hour and a half and eat!
Here’s the official recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon flour
- 56 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
Instructions
In the bottom of your crock pot, layer onions, carrots and garlic. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper then lay them on top.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to create a roux, until it's golden in color. Add in 2 cups of chicken stock and mix well, bringing to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add remaining chicken stock, put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours.
After 6 hours, turn the crockpot heat onto high. Using forks or kitchen tongs, lightly shred the chicken breasts. (This should be easy since they have cooked so long.) Stir half and half into the crockpot, then recover while you make the dumplings. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper. Crumble in butter with your fingers and rub into the flour until evenly dispersed and coarse crumbs form. Add in milk, stirring well just until a sticky dough forms. Use a tablespoon measure and add small scoops of the dough into the crockpot, starting by placing them around the outside first, then the inside. Cover and cook for another 1-1.5 hours, until dumplings are cooked but soft and not longer raw in the middle. Taste and season additionally if desired.
Serve immediately!
Notes
Know your crock pot! Cooking times can vary greatly depending on how hot your crock cooks. If you're not sure, check every couple hours until done to prevent over cooking.
I take no credit for this recipe. It’s all Jessica’s. Visit her site. She has some really good stuff to eat there. One really big note: know your crock pot!!! My pot cooks super hot. If I had cooked this for the recommended time, it would have been way overcooked. That’s not a problem with the recipe, my crock just cooks fast, even on low. Know your crock. If you’re not sure, then just check everything every couple of hours until it’s done.
Enjoy and have good eats!
Until next time,
Marceia